From bush ballads and AI therapy bots to menopausal chaos at a med-spa, Melbourne Theatre Company's (MTC) 2026 season is set to be one of its most daring yet. You can expect a mix of 12 productions spanning feminist revivals, remixed classics and world premieres that wrestle with what it means to live, love and sift through the messiness of modern life.
Across 2026, MTC promises performances that will pulse with joy, rage, tenderness and wit. There's the return of My Brilliant Career (which we gave five stars to in 2024), a musical reinvention of Miles Franklin's heroine as a bush-rock singer-songwriter; Do Not Pass Go, a razor-sharp workplace farce about cynicism in late-capitalist Australia; and classics such as The Glass Menagerie, returning to the stage for the first time in two decades and Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, reimagined for the new era.
“This season is about connecting – across generations, cultures and ideas,” says artistic director, Anne-Louise Sarks. “It's about reflecting our world to ourselves, and inviting audiences to experience both the familiar and worlds they have never traversed before.”
Here's a run-down of everything you need to know about the upcoming season.
What shows are in Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2026 season?
My Brilliant Career: Opening on January 23 and back by popular demand after scooping five Green Room Awards, this joyous musical adaptation of Miles Franklin’s novel returns with Kala Gare as the fiercely ambitious Sybylla Melvyn. Expect soaring vocals and a national tour to follow.
Do Not Pass Go: Opening on February 14, Jean Tong’s sharp, absurdist two-hander – developed through MTC’s Next Stage Writers’ Program – sees two colleagues navigate politics, identity and the generational divide with savage wit. Directed by Katy Maudlin and starring Belinda McClory from The Matrix.
West Gate: Opening on March 10, a powerful new Australian drama from Dennis McIntosh revisits the 1970 West Gate Bridge collapse, one of the country’s worst industrial disasters. Featuring Steve Bastoni, Daniela Farinacci and Lachy Hulme, it promises an unflinching look at loss, resilience and working-class pride.
The Glass Menagerie: Opening on April 27, Tennessee Williams’ haunting memory play returns to MTC for the first time in 20 years, starring Alison Whyte and Tim Draxl. A poetic portrait of family, fragility and the illusions we cling to, directed by Mark Wilson.
Shoelace Chaser: Opening on May 9, a warm and funny coming-of-age story about teenage friendship and caregiving. Written by Madelaine Nunn, this new Next Stage commission will tour regional Victoria after its debut.
Retrograde: Opening on May 16, from London’s West End comes Ryan Calais Cameron’s gripping drama about racial politics in 1950s Hollywood, following a fateful meeting between Sidney Poitier and a studio lawyer. Directed by Bert LaBonté and starring Donné Ngabo and Alan Dale from The O.C.
Losing Face: Opening on June 22, Marieke Hardy brings a riotous new comedy about ageing, wellness and a very wrong medical procedure. Think Weekend at Bernie’s meets menopause. Starring Genevieve Morris and Michala Banas, and directed by Leticia Cáceres.
Uncle Vanya: Opening on July 21, Joanna Murray-Smith reimagines Chekhov’s classic for the modern age, in MTC’s first Chekhov production in decades. Directed by Anne-Louise Sarks and starring Daniel Henshall (The Babadook) and Catherine Văn-Davies (The Twelve).
The Jungle and the Sea: Opening on August 14, from S. Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack – the duo behind Counting and Cracking – comes this sweeping family epic set during Sri Lanka’s civil war. Expect an emotionally charged meditation on justice, love and survival.
Eliza: Opening on September 28, Tom Holloway’s prescient new play probes the birth of AI and our limits of empathy, inspired by the real-life creation of the first chatbot. Directed by Paige Rattray and starring Manali Datar and Dan Spielman.
Before I Forget: Opening on October 24, playwright Kamarra Bell-Wykes crafts a tender, intergenerational story about a First Nations activist and linguist living with dementia – it's sure to be a moving reflection on motherhood, memory and cultural legacy.
A Room with a View: Opening on November 14, E.M. Forster’s beloved novel gets a playful Australian twist in Grace Chapple’s new adaptation, starring Nathalie Morris (Bump). Co-produced with Belvoir St Theatre, this romantic reimagining asks what it means to choose love and liberty in a world full of expectations.
How can we get tickets?
Subscription packages and individual show tickets for MTC’s 2026 season are now on sale over on the website.
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